Miss A Columnist

Susan Megan Fiorentino graduated from Manhattan College in May of 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. While there, she was involved in numerous activities including cheerleading and COMM(unity), an online newsletter for the Communication Department. She currently works for The American Cancer Society. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading (especially Nicholas Sparks!), working out, and keeping up with the latest celebrity gossip.

Laura Linney To Be Spokesperson For Stand Up To Cancer And Melanoma Research Alliance’s Wear Your Beauty Brilliantly PSA

Even though the relaxing and care-free days spent at the beach are over, we still must be cautious of our time spent out in the sun. The harmful effects of the sun’s rays may not be something we actively think about, but it is something we must be diligent about preventing.

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) and The Melanoma Research Alliance have teamed up in order to bring awareness of melanoma. Together, they have created a PSA titled Wear Your Beauty Brilliantly, which features Laura Linney (star of Showtime’s “The Big C“) as the spokesperson, with tips on protecting yourself from the sun and ultimately saving your life. The PSA also encourages individuals to look out for any changes in their bodies and actively communicate with both dermatologists and health care providers for signs of melanoma.

Not only does Laura Linney play a character on “The Big C” who is fully aware of melanoma, she is an active Stand Up To Cancer celebrity ambassador. This platform leads her to be a strong voice in advocating the benefits of taking proper care of our skin to prevent a melanoma diagnosis.

“All it takes is a single reminder for a person to do a self-exam that could save his or her life. Melanoma and breast cancer can often be seen and felt, respectively, and the impact of open conversations about cancer and its prevention cannot be underestimated,” Linney said. “So talk about cancer. Encourage the women you care about to do a self breast-exam regularly, and everyone to look over their bodies for any strange markings. Communication can curtail cancer, so talk it up!”

Laura Linney (Photo Credit: http://celebritywonder.ugo.com)

Debra Black, the co-founder of MRA, said about Laura Linney, “Through her support of the cause and her moving performance on “The Big C”, Laura has kept melanoma at the forefront of public consciousness, and that work is heartening to all of us at MRA. Stand Up To Cancer has helped shake up the culture of cancer research and we’re excited about working with their esteemed scientists and doctors to find better treatments and, eventually, a cure for melanoma.”

The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) is known as the leader in melanoma research since the organization is the largest private funder of this research. The funds raised go to several programs such as prevention, treatment, diagnosis and research.

As previously mentioned, one of the best ways to prevent melanoma is to take care of your skin. An effective habit we can easily put in our daily routine is to use skin care products with SPF. These products, and countless others, can be picked up on your next trip to the mall or drugstore. This is a quick and easy way to put you ahead in the fight against melanoma. Browse through Neutrogena, Aveeno and The Body Shop to find which products best fit your skin type.